Thief who stole old back issues from Florida university gets jailed

The Tallahassee Democrat announced a man who'd stolen comic back issues from the Florida State University 6 years ago will be imprisoned for his crime:

A comic book bandit, accused of stealing and selling thousands of rare comics from Florida State University six years ago, was declared guilty by a judge Feb. 26 and sentenced to prison.

Todd Peak, 43, will serve a year and a half in prison, followed by 10 years on probation, after taking a plea deal that spared him a possible 30-year sentence, according to court records.

He also must pay back nearly $70,000 in restitution to FSU, among others. [...]

Peak, a former security guard at FSU's library, was arrested in 2020 on grand theft and related charges after more than 5,000 comics disappeared from a collection in FSU’s Special Collections & Archives in Strozier Library.

He purloined from a rare collection predominantly from the 1950s through the 1970s. Publications include those by Marvel Comics, DC Comics, underground publishers, foreign language titles and pulp magazines.

Police said Peak trafficked the comics in online forums and in the backroom of a Crawfordville comics shop where he sold the stolen items.

During the investigation, a small sample of 38 comics were found in the library, but thousands were still missing.

WCTV also notes:

Library staff first discovered the theft in February 2021. The Ervin Collection contains more than 4,000 comic books from various publishers spanning from the 1950s through the 1970s. FSU notified the public about the theft in September 2021. That’s when a comic book dealer came forward and raised suspicions about Peak, according to arrest records.

Peak was one of only four people at Strozier with a key to the library’s Special Collections area, which is in the sub-basement of the building behind a padlocked fence.

I think this is another reason why back issues should probably be kept more at museums than libraries, though as I fully realize, even museums are not completely safe from theft, and note that the felon betrayed the trust given to him with the keys to the library storage. This makes another case where somebody should be ashamed of only seeing dollar signs in old back issues, but not the value of reading. Let's hope this Peak takes the time to think over his offenses while behind bars.

A reader of the LA Times make a peculiar comparison of social media to comics

A letter writer to the Los Angeles Times answered a topic about why children shouldn't have access to social media,

Guest contributor Jessica L. Schleider makes a convincing argument that blaming social media for children’s problems is an oversimplification of the issue (“If social platforms are harmful, don’t just ban kids. Regulate the harms,” Feb. 25).

This isn’t the first time popular media has been illogically blamed. In 1954, psychiatrist Frederic Wertham published “Seduction of the Innocent,” a book claiming comic books led to juvenile delinquency. Part of his reasoning? He’d seen boys in reform school reading comic books, a classic example of putting the cart before the horse.

The psychiatric community was largely not impressed with such a simplistic explanation and regarded Wertham as a crank. Marvel Comics editor Stan Lee recounted that Wertham “said things that impressed the public, and it was like shouting fire in a theater, but there was little scientific validity to it. And yet because he had the name ‘doctor,’ people took what he said seriously, and it started a whole crusade against comics.”

I think this is a very absurdly naive comparison and perspective, since social media isn't just one company or publication like some comics publishers, and there have been children over past years who were influenced by the Islamic State via social media. When any kind of modern medium is exploited for pushing evil ideologies far more than comics of the past century ever did, how can you make an argument that social media has no downside?

Furthermore, social media's done little to improve the dire state of comicdom in modern times artistically, and practically made things worse, because of all the cancel culture that sprang up in the past decade, and even today, it's not like it's entirely improved. One more reason it may be best not to allow underage children to use social media, because what if they end up becoming part of the problem? There've been pollings indicating that many USA residents favor barring children from social media until they're 16, and they certainly should be taught good manners in addition before they can go online and make use of them. Otherwise, they wouldn't make good comic readers any more than good social media posters.

IDW adapting Japanese Hello Kitty franchise

Variety announced IDW, doing very badly in terms of artistry today as in sales, will be adapting the Helly Kitty franchise from Japan into new comics, penned by a wokester:

New “Hello Kitty” comic books will soon launch as part of a collaboration between Japan’s Sanrio and comics giant IDW Publishing.

The new multi-title partnership will begin with the debut of the “Hello Kitty: Hello World” comic book series July 22 in connection with San Diego Comic Con.

Per Sanrio and IDW, the new comic book is described as “a classic and lovable depiction of Sanrio’s characters as Hello Kitty and Friends go on a world tour to solve a riddle. As they discover new riddles around the globe, they will also meet new characters in every single issue!”

The “Hello Kitty: Hello World” series is written by Mariko Tamaki (“This One Summer,” “Zatanna: Bring Down the House”) and animated by artist Cody Lemieux (“Despite, Despite, Despite,” “Gnome Granny”).

Following the launch of “Hello Kitty: Hello World” this summer, more “Hello Kitty” comics and some “crossovers” will be released from IDW Publishing in 2027.

The Hello Kitty brand has exploded in popularity since Sanrio first introduced the character in 1974, spawning an ever-growing merch line and multiple media projects, including the upcoming feature film from Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and New Line Cinema, set to release in July 2028.

If memory serves, Tamaki is the same writer who once turned out a Harley Quinn tale in an alternate DC imprint where Poison Ivy was pointlessly race-swapped? Coupled with how unreliably woke IDW's become, that's why it'd be better not to bother about this western adaptation. As for this new cartoon they speak of from Warner Brothers, just recently having been purchased by Paramount Skydance, on which I hope to comment in time, we can only hope that'll at least not turn out to be something dumbed down like other PC productions they've turned out nowadays. But something coming from IDW, that's certainly not encouraging, and there's every suggestion this new take on Hello Kitty will be a bad omen, mainly because former Marvel editor Heather Antos is now working for them, as IDW's inexplicably willing to employ former workers for mainstream no matter how poor their record is.

2 more crossovers coming from Marvel this year

Marvel simply refuses to cease with the endless flood of company wide crossovers, and IGN in turn refuses to take any kind of objective view of how negatively this affects their now sorely lacking creativity:

Marvel Comics took to the Comics Pro retailer convention to shine a spotlight on two of its biggest 2026 storylines, Avengers: Armageddon and Queen in Black. Both of these crossover events will help to define the ongoing direction of the Marvel Universe in the latter half of 2026.

First up, Avengers: Armageddon is a new limited series from Captain America writer Chip Zdarsky and artists Frank Alpizar and Delio Diaz. Aramageddon is being compared to 2004's Avengers: Disassembled in terms of being a major watershed moment for the Avengers franchise that will completely transform Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Armageddon builds on the fallout of One World Under Doom and ongoing story threads in Captain America and Wolverine: Weapons of Armageddon. As the world continues to reel from Doctor Doom's brief reign, Red Hulk decides to claim the kingdom of Latveria for himself. That sparks a global conflict that draws in the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and Wolverine.

...Meanwhile, Queen in Black is an event spinning out of the pages of Al Ewing's Venom series. [...]

Yup, a crossover based on the writings of one of the wokest writers of the past decade. And two crossovers is simply 2 too many. That this is being compared to one of the worst productions of Brian Bendis - one that degraded the Scarlet Witch - is telling. No matter how this turns out, it's not worth wasting money upon, and its being developed as a crossover at this point is a most serious problem, because of how as time went by, crossovers served to destroy creative autonomy and stand-alone storytelling. This is one of the main reasons Marvel and DC will never recover from the damage crossovers have resulted in long term, so long as they continue to stick with them so casually.

Of course comic readers can read more than just comics

A writer at the Blackshear Times spoke about a political argument he had with some online contact, who seemed to believe comic readers limit themselves almost entirely to that very medium, and have no interest in anything else:

You see, my worthy opponent informed me I live in “comic book fantasyland.” In a subsequent response they indicated I should stick to comics, because I “can’t understand political narrative.”

I can only guess they connected me with comics due to my profile pic, which features the heroes of a publication a friend and I successfully funded on Kickstarter last October. A brief online search of my name might also connect me with a handful of comic related websites and publications. Maybe they have even read my occasional columns about the comic book medium right here in this paper.

They probably thought they had scored some searing takedown, based upon a quick, surface level assessment of my online persona.

You see, the implication is that if you love comics you’re stupid. And if you aren’t stupid, then you are somehow immature or developmentally stunted.

It’s an old insult, as weak and tired as every other lame jab thrown at readers of every stripe no matter their preferred publication (books, newspapers, comics, etc.), most often by insecure people afraid someone knows more about something than they do.

They have good reason to worry too, because comic books lead to actual books. Now, my accuser probably hasn’t bothered with books in years, but when I look at my bookshelves I’m pretty content with what I see. There are plenty of titles which are close kin to comics; Conan, Tarzan, King Arthur and others, but there is also a lot of history, science, philosophy and biographies.

I myself have some Dungeons & Dragons/Dragonlance novels around the house written by Margeret Weis and Tracy Hickman, from a time when PC wasn't being forced upon the franchise like it's been today. And I've also got books about real life subjects at home too, including a book or two by UK writer Melanie Phillips, and also the late Barry Rubin. (Update: my household's also got a book about French poetry by Kenneth Canfield, if poetry matters.) I've also read Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling, and I've even recently gotten hold of a book by James Kakalios titled The Physics of Super-Heroes, to see what he has to say about the differences between fiction and real life when it comes to sci-fi writing in comicdom. And that just shows how, whether before or after, of course there are comics readers who do take interest in plain-text books. Why, even books with illustrations obviously count to boot, and I read some of Beatrix Potter's children's books like Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle-Duck in my youth too, along with Dr. Seuss. If those aren't stupid, why do some anonymous creeps think comics are? Do they also think the same about animation, even Japanese?

Another sad thing about people who put down comic books, which has plagued the medium's reputation for decades on end, is that they couldn't possibly care less if Superman and Green Lantern had remained in the grave after the 1990's Doomsday battle and Emerald Twilight, or if Identity Crisis had remained a full-fledged status quo, or that the Avengers storyline making Hank Pym look like an abuser remained stuck for a long time, that Scarlet Witch was made to look horrific as a result of Disassembled, or that Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson remain kept apart for nearly 2 decades now. Such people, without a doubt, have no appreciation for even the informative subjects that were examined in comicdom over past decades, like how drug abuse and racism are bad, and there were a few storylines that made points why sexual violence is wrong too. Could we perhaps guess why?

In the end though, some of these anonymous posters are people who're just looking for cheap, petty excuses to tell somebody else, "I don't like you", and that's very sad, because it does virtually nothing to improve a bad, divisive situation, and refuses to recognize that being a comics reader doesn't automatically prove you're "uneducated". Those who read comics are more than perfectly capable of reading plain-text books as well, including many tackling serious subject matters that comics are just as valid a medium to explore them in as well.

Czech comic wins this year's Muriel award

Radio Prague International interviewed Pavel Korinek, head of Czechia's comics academy, about a recent story called Oskar Ed by Branko Jelinek, which won the year's Muriel award:

For those who haven’t seen the book, who exactly is Oskar Ed? Is he a fictional character or something more personal?

"Oskar Ed is a fictional character who is in many ways typical of Branko Jelinek’s work. He is a recurring figure, though not in the sense of sequels or traditional series volumes. Rather, Jelinek works with Oskar Ed almost like an actor, a character he places at the centre of different graphic novels."

"In this book, Oskar Ed is a nearly middle-aged man struggling with family issues and dissatisfaction at work, a corporate job that doesn’t truly fulfil him. He is no longer a young man. He is haunted by his insecurities and by his rather precarious personal situation." [...]

And finally, is there a chance that Oskar Ed will reach English-speaking readers? Do you think it could eventually be translated into English?

"Hopefully, yes. Previous books featuring Oskar Ed have already been published abroad — in France and in Poland, for example. The second book was translated into several other languages as well."

"I know there have been attempts to publish Oskar Ed in English. At one point, the well-known alternative comics publisher Fantagraphics in Seattle was considering it."

"I hope that the four Muriel Awards won by the latest Oskar Ed graphic novel will serve as another reminder that something truly exciting is happening in Czech comics, and that English-speaking readers may soon have the chance to encounter Oskar Ed in translation."

I do think drama-based comics like these are what parents should encourage their children to read, certainly far more than action-adventure comics in mainstream today, and it's about time families did give comics like these a go if they really want their children to have something sophisticated to challenge their reading skills. So when will that happen? Exactly why I hope some publisher in the USA takes up the challenge of translating it into English, and also remains faithful to the comic's Czech cultural background.

Stamps based on famous comics and cartoon characters

The US Postal Service has an article about some special commemorative stamps they've developed, based on at least a few comics and cartoon characters in recent times, which includes the following:

• 1997’s Bugs Bunny featuring the animated rabbit leaning on a mailbox with a carrot in hand;
• 2006’s DC Comics Super Heroes, featuring portraits of Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Green Arrow, Aquaman, Supergirl and Plastic Man in a 20-design pane;
• 2015’s Batman, featuring four versions of Batman drawn from different comic book eras, paired with four “bat-signals” that trace the evolution of his character; and
• 2016’s Wonder Woman, featuring four portraits of the Amazon princess from different comic book eras, emphasizing both her physical power and her sense of purpose.

Well at least this kind of venture is more appealing at this point than the artistic fiasco DC degenerated into by that time. But for all we know, even this could end up being craved by the speculator market, and that wouldn't be any better than how pamphlets are repeatedly bought by such decidedly misguided and embarrassing people for the sake of money, and in hopes the newer ones will actually make the same, which first brought down industry in the mid-90s.

Putting comics and cartoon characters on stamps can be creative, and might be preferable to some other forms of merchandise, but even that's no substitute for artistic quality in terms of storytelling.

New ANN report suggests wages for animation in Japan not as bad as previously claimed

In a followup to this previous article, there's now a report on Anime News Network that wages for animation development aren't as bad as what the Asahi Shimbun claimed:

From reports of monthly salaries as low as 160,000 yen (US$1,034) in 2015 to the examples of scant wages seen with 2020's #AnimationPaidMe hashtag, there have been numerous horror stories about working as a newbie animator in Japan—namely, the inability to earn a living wage. To find out if this was still the case, ANN met with numerous industry individuals—from freelance and studio-employed animators to studio heads and animator rights advocates. (This article contains quotes from only a select few of them.)

However, rather than tales of doom and gloom, we found universal agreement that, over the past five years, animator wages and working conditions have improved dramatically. When it comes down to it, this is mostly due to a shift in the inner workings of the anime industry.

“Since the Japanese anime industry continues to expand, we're left with the current situation where there is inevitably a shortage of human resources.” Hiroki Yoshioka, President of animation studio ENGI, told Anime News Network.

Studios are producing more anime now than ever before, but they are struggling to keep up. This is doubly true for 3D animation teams, who face an additional rival for recruiting recently graduated animators, as many 3D animators are more interested in making games than anime, since game companies pay higher wages.

To combat this animator shortage, large-to-mid-size studios—or studios with access to parent companies' resources—have spent the last few years reorganizing their animation departments. “Until about 10 years ago, many animation production companies paid on a commission basis—though they were hiring to a certain extent. However, in recent years, animation production companies have revised their labor standards, making it necessary to hire full-time employees,” Yoshioka explained.

The best place to get these animators? Right out of school. However, that's just the first hurdle. “While hiring characteristics differ between CG and hand-drawn (paper or digital pen) animators, when it comes to hand-drawn animation, one reason for [the difficulty in recruiting] is that the level of training offered at vocational schools and universities is far from sufficient for immediate practical application,” Yoshioka continued. “Therefore, when hiring new graduates, they need to be taught [the job] from scratch.”

Junji Murata, president of MAHO FILM, shares a similar view. “They need to train animators from scratch,” he told us. “Animators are like actors. It takes a lot of training to master first-class acting, so it's not something anyone can do easily—thus, there's a shortage of talent.”

And make no mistake: turning a fresh graduate into a veteran animator is not a short process. “Even if they are paid a fixed salary as full-time employees, their skills are low, requiring companies to continue investing in their employees' growth over an average of five years,” Yoshioka said. “I believe that less than half of these employees reach a level where they can be considered a valuable asset.”

This is right in line with Murata's assessment as well: “Three to five years to become halfway competent. Ten years to become fully competent.”

Well if that's the case, it suggests some animation employees are being awfully fussy when they don't have the full skills needed to qualify, and this in an industry where merit's given higher emphasis than what the USA industry showed in past decades. So, maybe the press was just unwisely playing along without getting the whole story. Obviously, even in Japan this is a problem. So, let's hope some animators will be willing to learn some lessons moving forward about why it pays to prove they believe in being talented as much as in asking for higher salaries. That would do the whole profession a lot more good.